Home Office Success Stories - March 2002

Gone broadband yet? At the end of this year, some 3.5 million U.S. homes are expected to have a broadband connection to the Internet. And whether it’s DSL, cable modem, satellite TV or some other consumer service, the number is expected to top 10 million homes at the end of 2003. Combine broadband with home networking, which connects computers in the home or home office, and tomorrow’s residence is going to be one wired place.

But with all the promises of “plug and play” simplicity, just how easy is it to run the wires, link the computers and share the connection? Learn more in my recent Sun-Sentinel article on going broadband. With humor, facts and stats, the piece gives a realistic look at what it takes to stream into the 21st Century.

www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-sbnetwork03mar03.story

And from a personal standpoint, now that we have broadband and networking, the wife and kids are thrilled to not have to hog Daddy’s phone line for dial-up – and they easily keep in touch with me while I’m traveling on the road (especially with my new RIM Blackberry portable email device).

Need to buy a new computer? What about a lease? I recently wrote my biweekly Sun-Sentinel BizTech column on a home business owner who decided to lease her next PC. She got a powerful PC with all the trimmings – and a service package as well. And she also has the peace of mind knowing that in a couple of years, she’ll turn the old unit in for a newer, state-of-the-art PC.

www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-ybbiztech11mar11.story

In the meantime, if you want to learn about some other hot technology and strategies for the SOHO market, turn on your TV. The Chief Home Officer will be in several markets over the next few days, showing off some power tools for today’s home office. The markets include:

* St. Louis. Fri., March 14. KSDK-NBC. 12:30 p.m.
* Minneapolis. Sat., March 15. KARE-NBC (time not set)
* Chicago. Sun., March 16. KWLS-ABC. In the 8 a.m. hour.

If you’re a teleworker looking for powerful strategies on working outside the corporate office, check out Home Base, my weekly telework column for Network World magazine. Read it online at www.nwfusion.com/net.worker.

Jeff Zbar, the ChiefHomeOfficer.com, is a speaker, writer and expert on alternative officing. He is the author of Teleworking & Telecommuting: Strategies for Remote Workers and Their Managers (Made E-Z Products, 2002); Safe@Home: Seven Keys to Home Office Security (FirstPublish 2001) and Your Profitable Home Business (on CD-ROM from Made E-Z Products). Visit his Web site to subscribe to Home Office Success Stories, his free electronic magazine on home business and teleworking.